A blurred figure flashed past with full speed, leaving a trail behind for the doctor to catch a glimpse.
“Who’s there?” The doctor came out of the room peeping at either side. But didn’t see anyone who could raise suspicion.
“Did you hear that?” Isabelle asked her PA, who was also about to ask her the same question.
“I did. ‘Say cheese’.” Her PA’s face sank, weighing the possible explanation for the ‘say cheese’ she heard.
“Chloe, I keep telling you to stop roaming about the whole place,” the doctor said admonishingly to the sweet, innocent-looking girl resting at the side of the wall. “You should be with Mama, not playing around.”
Chloe fiddled with her hand, staring at the floor before she raised her head. “I’m sorry, Doctor. I only wanted to have some fun.”
The doctor sighed; it was a daily occurrence for the little sweetpea to wander every time she visits the hospital to see her mother. “Go now, doctor has work to do.”
“Okay,” Chloe hurriedly left the VIP area in a scamper, flinging her head as she ran to the waiting room. She winked at the stranger sitting on the bench before entering the next ward.
*****
[ Supporting actress for ‘Tomboy Donna’ lies in the hospital; claims Ivy as the culprit ]
[ ‘It was just a small argument at the backstage’; Isabella claims Ivy was the culprit ]
[ Isabelle assault by fellow actress ]
[ Isabelle in the hospital; Filming put on hold ]
The news spread rapidly all over the net. Due to the content of the news, the netizens erupted with words of abuse online. At first after the information was leaked, there were many speculations of who was behind the attack without drawing a conclusion. The reporters swung into action to investigate. When they found out the hospital she was admitted to, they rushed down in a scurry to find out what happened to measure the severity of the matter.
They were glad for Isabelle’s cooperation. Picking up on Isabelle’s hint, they broke it into a huge scandal that they knew the netizen would explode in anger because of the situation. The particular incident has put filming on hold.
The producer for ‘Tomboy Donna’ decided to step out after hearing the news, dragging Director Tim along to the hospital. When he informed Director Tim that they would be visiting Isabelle, he was reluctant, since he heard Susan’s side of the story. He caught the game Isabelle was trying to play, as he knew about the unethical means most artists of the industry use to get their demands. But for the sake of the film’s reputation and other considerations, he agreed to visit her at the hospital.
When they stepped into the VIP room, Isabelle was lying on the bed with a gloomy face, clutching the bedsheet. Her manager was standing beside her with a frown.
“Producer Stephen, I’m very sorry to say this, but you don’t seem to be taking any action considering this incident.”
Stephen didn’t reply immediately. He looked at the patient lying in the cot before asking, “How are you feeling?”
“I’m getting better,” she answered in a low tone without glancing at Stephen.
“I heard Ivy was behind this, is it true?” There was not an ounce of anger on his face.
Isabelle sniffed before sitting up. “Yes.”
“But I thought you said it was her manager,” Director Tim chimed in. He couldn’t fully grasp her motive. What was she trying to achieve by turning the situation around to this extent?
“Yes, it is true her manager and I had a fight at the hallway. See the evidence on my cheek.” She said, showing them her red cheek. “Then when I went outside for a walk, like I always do, some thugs attacked me. In my presence, they gave her a phone call. I heard her voice clearly. I’m not lying.” A stray tear escaped her eyes. Stephen noticed her tears and handed her his handkerchief. “Here.”
She sniffed. “Thank you. I’m sorry, filming has been put on hold because of me. If I had known, I wouldn’t have passed the hallway yesterday. I didn’t know I would bump into dangerous people because of a small argument.”
Stephen’s face carried no trace of any emotion. He studied her for a bit. “I will investigate this issue, but you shouldn’t have concluded your fellow actress was behind it without proof.”
“How can you say that? I didn’t expect this from you, Producer Stephen. Her manager did this to her; it’s obvious it was Ivy’s doing.” Deep wrinkles appeared on Isabelle’s manager’s forehead as he spoke.
“This incident is putting a strain on my film. If the two of you had any issues, both of you would have solved it in a way it wouldn’t have affected the film,” Stephen said calmly, and Isabelle’s manager retorted before she could respond, “It’s clearly not her fault. She is the victim here. Can’t you see it? If this is how you choose to handle this issue, then I will make sure she withdraws from the film.”
“Don’t make rash decisions. I’ll handle this. The media is already involved; that’s what is escalating the situation.” Though he was frustrated, he didn’t let his frustration show on his face.
“If you could make her kneel and beg Isabelle, then we would let it slide. And if she doesn’t, we will involve the police,” Isabelle’s manager threatened.
Director Tim was awfully displeased by the entire situation. Isabelle was being childish. She wanted her to just kneel, then she would let it slide. Was she just being considerate?
“How do you expect us to force a grown woman to kneel before her? You should be telling this to her yourself while we investigate.”
“She has to apologize. Fine, even if Ivy isn’t involved, why hasn’t she visited Isabelle to show her sincerity? Instead, she is just ignoring the situation like she doesn’t care,” her manager spat.
Stephen nodded in agreement. She didn’t step out to clarify her intentions, nor did she refute.
Director Tim, seeing the producer convinced, decided to speak up for Ivy. “I was the one who informed her this morning, and she rushed to the hospital.”
“Which hospital? We haven’t seen her shadow around here. She was definitely pretending to care,” Isabelle’s PA chimed in after receiving a tug from Isabelle. She hated siding with her but she had no choice.
Unknowingly to them, a figure in black was looming around the corner. On Stephen and Director Tim’s way to Isabelle’s room, they bumped into someone wearing a hoodie. Immediately, Ivy saw their faces, she returned to her initial position, waiting for them to leave first before her……